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Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Programs (JUMP) in Counseling


Counseling students walking on campus

The Department of Counseling and Student Affairs Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Program allows undergraduate students to earn graduate credit towards their applied master’s degree.

This program is intended for highly motivated undergraduate students who have completed one full-time semester at WKU and are in good standing.

  • Earn graduate credit at the undergraduate tuition rate.
  • Have the opportunity to specialize in Addictions Education, College and Career Readiness, Marriage Couples and Family Counseling, School Counseling, and/or Play and Expressive Arts Therapy.
  • JUMP provides academically outstanding students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated time period. Qualified students will apply directly to an individual Joint Undergraduate Master's Program, which will make a recommendation to the Graduate School for acceptance to JUMP. JUMP students may complete a maximum of twelve (12) graduate hours as undergraduate students. For undergraduate candidates pursuing a first baccalaureate degree in combination with a Master's degree, nine (9) graduate hours may be counted on both the undergraduate and graduate transcript as prescribed by the approved program curriculum. JUMP students in graduate programs requiring thirty-three (33) or more hours may complete a maximum of fifteen (15) hours as undergraduate students. For undergraduate candidates pursuing a first baccalaureate degree in combination with a Master's degree in a graduate program requiring thirty-three (33) or more hours, twelve (12) graduate hours may be counted on both the undergraduate and graduate transcript.
  • JUMP applicants are eligible to begin the application process to the Department’s programs if they are a WKU undergraduate student in good standing (must have a GPA of 3.00 or above) who has 60 undergraduate hours completed but no more than 100 undergraduate hours completed at the TIME OF APPLYING; and has completed one semester at WKU. Applicants should discuss their intentions to apply with the undergraduate advisor.


Application Deadlines

March 1 for fall admission
October 1 for spring admission

*Please note application deadlines do not apply to the Student Affairs program or JUMP; students are admitted to the Student Affairs program on an ongoing basis.


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Program Options

The Department of Counseling and Student Affairs offers a Master of Arts in Education in Counseling. Included in this degree option are two concentrations students may choose for their programs of study to their primary areas of interest: 

Why Choose WKU’s Counseling Programs?

Our faculty and students value experiential learning. Most of our classes are offered face to face on WKU’s Bowling Green campus, during the week in the afternoon and evenings and occasionally on weekends. Since we also offer a cohort model, many of our students become lifelong learners, colleagues and friends. The Department also offers a team of exceptional faculty who are highly experienced and trained; and highly motivated to mentor and support students throughout their academic journey and beyond.

Apply to Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Programs (JUMP) in Counseling

Students sitting in class

JUMP Applicants do NOT apply to Graduate School, but rather directly to the Department. Applications will not be reviewed if the aforementioned criteria have not be met.

Application Materials and Submission

Students applying to the Department of Counseling Joint Undergraduate-Master's Programs (JUMP) should submit, via email, all of the following materials and the application merged into one PDF. The application will not be processed unless the attachment is included in an email sent to the WKU CSA Office Coordinator while copying their Undergraduate Advisor with Subject Line: Counseling JUMP Application [Your #800].

Submit the following documents in the order noted below in one PDF document. The first page of the PDF should be a cover page that includes, in the following order, the applicant’s full name, WKU 800#, current program, hours completed and cumulative GPA at the time the application was submitted, and expected undergraduate graduation date. 

A statement of interest of no more than 6 pages in length (including a cover page), written in APA format, includes correct spelling and grammar, and organized according to the prompts below. Applicants who submit Statements of Interest that do not adequately meet expectations (i.e., excessive writing and format errors; failure to address all prompts; and/or career objectives and personal/interpersonal dispositions that are incongruent with program objectives) may be denied admission or asked to reapply with an updated Statement of Interest for the next admissions cycle.

  • Discuss how your career objectives and personal and interpersonal dispositions are fitting for the counseling or student affairs profession. Provide support for and specific examples of why you believe your interests, as well as personal and interpersonal dispositions (including interpersonal skills and experiences, as well as ability to handle stress and emotional triggers) are appropriate and fitting for the profession.
  • Briefly discuss how you will be successful in forming effective relationships with clients through both face to face and digital delivery of individual, couples and/or family counseling. Be specific and provide examples. Consider ways in which you may need to grow to be success in either type of delivery and/or with a given population.
  • Briefly describe your aptitude for graduate-level study through both face-to-face and digital delivery modalities. Provide evidence for why you believe you are ready for graduate studies. Given that courses are offered through both face-to-face and delivery, respond to the following questions: If you are accustomed to face to face learning, how will you adjust to digital learning? If you are easily distracted, how will you remain focused and attentive during zoom class meetings? How will you seek and maintain relationships with instructors in both face to face and digital settings so as to assure your success in the course?
  • Describe your experiences with and respect for cultural diversity. More specifically, discuss how you have formed and maintained relationships with persons from different backgrounds and cultures from your own (i.e., gender, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, etc.) in both individual and group contexts. How do you maintain respect for these differences? In what ways will you need to develop in order to be culturally sensitive when providing counseling services? Use specific examples.

JUMP Applicants are required to include the following as their list of References:

  1. Their WKU undergraduate Academic Advisor
  2. Two faculty members who can speak to the above with specific detail, as well as the applicant’s academic and professional readiness for graduate school.

Applicants should submit an updated resume. Current WKU undergraduates may seek the WKU Career Center for resources related to resume building.

Download The Counseling Background Check

Download the Student Affairs Background Check

Applicants to either the CMHC or MCFC program should select “Counseling”; Student Affairs, should select “Student Affairs” and then proceed with the directions and fee. All questions should be directed to the Verified Credentials Client Services Team at 1-800-938-6090.

  • The background may take weeks to be processed; this process should be initiated well in advance of the application deadline as it could take a month to process.
  • Upon receiving the Background Check back from Verified Credentials, it should be included in order (as noted above) in the PDF Application Portfolio.

Interview for Counseling Program

Based upon a holistic review of their application materials, including consideration of the feedback from references, highly reviewed applicants will be invited to an on-line admissions group interview scheduled on the last Tuesdays of March and October from 11am - 1pm CST. Since the Department does not offer an alternative admissions date or time, applicants should arrange in advance to attend.

During the interview, applicants are reviewed by faculty on skills related to but not limited to listening, awareness of self and others, ability to collaborate and communicate, sensitivity to diversity, as well as respect for others. Based upon a collective evaluation of the application materials, as well as the demonstration of skills, applicants will receive an invitation for admission or denial.

JUMP Matriculation into CSA Courses

JUMP Applicants who are accepted will receive an email indicating so. Upon notification of their acceptance, they should follow the steps below as soon as possible in order to be considered for enrollment in graduate courses offered in the following semester.

Student Submits Statement of Intent Form

Upon receiving an email indicating acceptance to the program, JUMP students begin the JUMP Statement of Intent document signature process. Go to https://www.wku.edu/graduate/documents/index.php, then under DocuSign Forms, choose JUMP Statement of Intent. Information for Graduate Program Coordinator is as follows: Name, Lacretia Dye; Email, Lacretia.dye@wku.edu. The student should save the completed Statement of Intent once they receive a copy of it from the Graduate School.

Student Schedules and Meets with Undergraduate Advisor

After receiving a copy of the completed Statement of Intent, they should schedule a meeting with their Undergraduate Advisor to discuss how many graduate course/s would be appropriate to take within the next semester. This conversation should include consideration of the student's anticipated undergraduate course load, as well as what graduate courses would be applicable or allowed towards the undergraduate degree. (Some departments have restricted course electives.) JUMP in Counseling students may take the CSA graduate courses listed below. See the CSA Course Offerings for descriptions of courses. Following this meeting, the student should reach out to the specific Department of Counseling and Student Affairs JUMP Coordinator to discuss the results of this meeting.

Offered in the Fall

Offered in the Summer

Offered in the Spring

CNS 555 Social & Cultural Diversity

CNS 560 Professional Studies

CNS 637 Theories of Addiction

CNS 556 Dev Career Counseling

CNS 558 Theories in Counseling

CNS 557 Human & Family Development

Student Completes and Submits JUMP Exception Form

The JUMP Coordinator will then advise which course/s should be taken in the next semester. The student will then add the course/s on the JUMP Exception Form and gain the Undergraduate Program Signatures. Upon the completion of the form, the student should forward the completed JUMP Exception Form in email with subject line: JUMP Exception Form Attached to the following four parties: registrar@wku.edu, their undergraduate advisor, undergraduate Department Head, and CSA JUMP Coordinator. The CSA JUMP Coordinator will upload it in the student's electronic folder.

Student Seeks Registration in CSA Courses

Upon receipt of the form, the student should email the instructor of the graduate course with Subject Line: "JUMP Registration for CNS [123]." The Statement of Intent (received from Graduate School; see first step) should be attached; with the following email: I am CSA JUMP Student (800#) and would like to register for CNS 123:123. My undergraduate advisor and the CSA JUMP Coordinator have approved the course. Questions related to registering/dropping from courses and/or the JUMP should be directed to the CSA Office Coordinator.

Submit Application Graduate School

Upon eligibility, the student applies for admission to the WKU Graduate School and informs CSA JUMP Coordinator upon doing so.

Program Coordinators

The Program Coordinators who will oversee the application process are as follows:

Clinical Mental Health Counseling,
Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
Dr. Lacretia Dye
Student Affairs Dr. Aaron Hughey

Scholarship Opportunities & Financial Support

WKU offers generous scholarships that may help you further reduce the cost of the Hilltopper experience.

Learn More

Department of Counseling
and Student Affairs

Gary A. Ransdell Hall 3036
1906 College Heights Blvd. #51031,
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1030
(270) 745-4953


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 Last Modified 3/14/24